Wonderful Miles…

Wonderful miles this morning, through Beaune, along the Velo route through the Burgundy country side. I Followed one of the maps from a book I bought, making it worth its purchase! Wish I could ride 5 more maps! I pedaled through sleepy wine towns where no one was up except the farmers tending the fields. It is spraying time. The tractors are interesting! The helicopter spraying was even more curious. The weather couldn’t have been more beautiful.

Along the way I climbed a good deal, and wandered through the vineyards, surrounded by the beauty of rows and rows of young grapes getting nourished by the morning sun. As the sun worked up from the horizon, it shed new shadows. Here and there a wall held back its warmth. But, it could not stop the sun from rising over this sprawling valley.

Each sleepy town seemed unique. With the quaint commonality of a fountain in front of every church, each town seemed to leave its mark on me. Pommard, Volnay, Meursault and more…each with a distinctness that you only see from the seat of a bicycle on the back roads. The flowers. The rooftop. Sleepy dogs in the courtyard. The large vats and hoses for wine making. The tiny triangular park still shaded. The opening smell of patisseries.

Finally, Meursault showed the most life, as the church bell rang 9 o’clock. Farmers made their way into town for morning coffee and croissants. People were heading home with fresh baked goodies to share. It was beginning to feel almost busy when I departed from the centre ville, as I could almost hear people saying, “Bonjour,” “Good Morning.”

It was there that I decided to head for home. Looking back across the valley, I marked a railroad crossing on my map, and headed for it. It was the right one, as Morteuil was just on the other side of the hill. From there it was 1k back to Demigny and our grand gypsy caravan to my smiling wife, who was ready to set out our breakfast on the terrace. All in all, a pretty good morning! I’m not sure I could imagine much better.

Now, back to Beaune, wine tasting in the cellar, lunch in the park, riding along the velo verte beside the canal, before returning for a swim and watching the Tour via internet. I’m sure I could get used to this! Anyone got a million dollars to spare?